COVID Omicron Boosters Authorized By FDA: What IL Should Know

ILLINOIS — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the rollout of COVID-19 booster shots targeting the omicron subvariant, according to an announcement by the agency. The booster doses could be available to Illinois residents in just days, according to officials.

Previous booster shots have targeted the original coronavirus strain, but the new booster will update the existing COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna to fight the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants, which are now the dominant strains in the U.S.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health information on "variants of concern," as of Aug. 28, the BA.5 subvariant accounted for more than 85 percent of the state's cases. That's a large spike compared to early July, when the subvariant made up about 29 percent of the state's COVID-19 cases.

The BA.4 subvariant accounted for about 7 percent of Illinois COVID-19 cases as of the end of August.

The new boosters are combination — or "bivalent" — shots. This means the doses contain half the original vaccine and half the new formula targeting omicron.

According to the FDA, the updated Moderna booster will be available to people 18 years and older, while the Pfizer booster is authorized for use in those 12 years and older. The updated shots will be open to anyone who already had their primary vaccinations at least two months before receiving the booster dose.

Before the booster doses can be available to the public, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must recommend who should get the additional shot. An advisory panel is expected to review the evidence and make a decision Thursday, according to The Associated Press.

Officials hope the updated booster dose will help curb another fall and winter infection surge.

"The COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, continue to save countless lives and prevent the most serious outcomes of COVID-19," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in a statement. "As we head into fall and begin to spend more time indoors, we strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to consider receiving a booster dose with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants."

The United States has purchased more than 170 million doses from the two companies. Pfizer said it could ship up to 15 million doses by the end of next week.

The big question is whether people will roll up their sleeves to receive the new dose. Half of vaccinated Americans got the first recommended booster dose, and only a third of those 50 and older who were urged to get a second booster did so.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.